Don't Forget Where You Belong [JJ Maybank] *COMPLETE*

Chapter 4 - The Bends

Somehow you ended up in the marsh despite it being closed and John B getting a very clear, direct warning about going into it again. He had tried to convince you all it was a bad idea after Sherriff Peterkin offered to help him, but JJ's uppity "Kooks always win" speech somehow morphed into 'steal scuba gear from the Cameron's boat and dive down to the Grady-White wreck.

"This is empty," you stated, looking across at the group, letting your arm holding the tank fall limp in defeat.

"You took empty tanks?" Kie asked John B accusingly, as he plopped down next to her.

"I-" he started to defend himself but you cut him off looking at the last tank's gauge,

"Okay, this one's a quarter full. It's enough for one of us."

"Love it when a plan comes together," Pope said sarcastically. You shot him a look and he raised his hands in defence as you went back to inspecting the tank to make sure it was ready.

"Does anybody know how to dive?" Kie asked. You all remanded silent. She huffed, "Anybody?"

"It's kind of a Kook sport," JJ retorted looking between you and Kie. She just shook her head and he turned to you. You stopped tinkering with the tanks when you noticed his prolonged stare.

"Don't look at me, David hates the water," you said, David being your unnecessarily rich stepdad who gave you by association Kook status.

"That's ironic," JJ said dryly.

"What isn't about that man," you said giving him a sly smile. He snorted as he laughed. The whole gang knew about your Pogue mothers rise to Kook-dom. She had married David, the rich, yet very poorly dressed boats salesman. Yes, the Figure Eight's most successful marina salesman was afraid of water. Go figure, everything about him was a contradiction.

"I... read about it," Pope sighed, getting the coversation back on track.

"Great, Pope read about it, so someone's gonna die," Kie said defensively.

"Have a bit of faith, Kie," you joked. She just rolled her eyes at you as JJ piped up,

"Look, y-you put the thing in your mouth and breathe. How hard could it be?"

"That's not how it works JJ," you said rubbing a hand over your face in mild frustration, moving to stand next to him ad beside Pope's seat.

"If you come up too fast, nitrogen gets into your blood," Pope explained to him, looking to you for confirmation, to which you nodded, "and you get the bends."

"The bends, like bend over..." JJ said bending himself over the steering bench, sticking his ass directly into you. You rolled your eyes as you giggle, leaning over to put a hand on his shoulder.

"The bends kill you," you informed him, slapping his shoulder twice. Your body retreated, as he turned to look at you. He stood up straight and rolled his shoulders back.

"Right," he said sheepishly, nodded as if he knew that. You laughed and you shoved him playfully.

"I can-- I can dive," John B piped up.

"You can dive. I'm cool with that," JJ agreed with no hesitiation.

"Since when can you dive?" Kie asked him.

"Since today, apparently," you said looking at him conveying the seriousness of this all. If he did this wrong he could get himself killed. John B looked directly at you and nodded, understanding exactly what you were trying to get across to him.

"I'll do it. It's fine," he affirmed, standing up to put the tank on his back.

"Let me do some calculations real quick," Pope said. As he was trying to work out the amount of time John B had for the amount of air, you felt breath tickle the back of your ear.